5 Ways to Talk to Your Virtual Delegates
How well are you communicating with your virtual event delegates?
Their engagement and satisfaction scores are key indicators of the success of your virtual event.
You may have created and designed the best virtual event, but if you’re not communicating how attendees can make the most of it, you’ll be losing opportunities.
Don’t worry, read on and discover 5 ideas you can put into action immediately to help with your virtual attendee comms:
1. Make it easy to communicate
The golden rule is always to keep communication clear and relevant. And if you want your participants and stakeholders to respond to you, then make it easy for them.
The more difficult it is, the less likely people will be to respond. Before you know it, your simple request for feedback is now in their too difficult pile.
You want to make communication methods simple, not challenging.
At one virtual event I attended, I wanted to post a comment in the chat box. This should have been simple. It was anything but. I needed to leave the viewing page, go to a new web page, create a user account, and post the comment. After all of that had been done, I was then able to return to watch the session. But how much of the session had I missed in the time needed to do the various tasks? Too much.
In the end, I ploughed through and made a comment on the session because it was fascinating, and also because I knew some of the presenters. But it was a lot of trouble.
Making interaction easy is always best, especially if you want strong engagement ratings.
2. Decide on your communication channels
Virtual event engagement is desired by many event professionals. However, if little is provided on how they can take part, then you’ll feel like you’re pushing a boulder up a long hill.
Letting people know how you want them to communicate with you, and your event, is critical to avoid confusion.
If you decide to use a chat box or a Q&A tab, where on the viewing screen or event app can it be found? Giving clear instructions in pre-event information will be a big help.
If your event is public-facing and you want participants to send in comments and questions, let them know how and which social media channels to use.
Which channel(s)? And let them know if you'd like them to add a hashtag, so you can easily find their comments?
It’s worth considering the various ways attendees can reach out to you. Having too many options means you’ll spend more time trawling, which is longer than if you use just one or two options.
3. Update virtual event programme changes quickly
TThe published virtual event programme is the only way attendees know when they need to turn up and log on. Everything flows from the programme.
You could expect your virtual participants to stay for your entire event, and sometimes that will happen. However, it’s also likely that they may only decide to attend specific sessions.
Your virtual delegates will expect everything to run on time and to time.
If your programme has been impacted by a speaker running late or for other reasons and you need to make a change to the schedule, it’s vital you update your programme as soon as possible.
In the absence of any updates, your delegates will probably just log off.
If programme changes need to be made, update your delegates swiftly and clearly. You could message them by broadcasting via your event app, or message, or via social media. And if you’re using a virtual host, then they can let your attendees know what’s happening.
4. Answer technical questions
With virtual events, there are always going to be some technical questions, irrespective of your audience.
We live in a fast-paced world where people skim key event information or may not read it at all. Laptops may be used by family members who adjust audio or video settings. All of which can result in virtual attendees not being able to connect easily with your event.
Let’s add to this that some delegates will lose their login details, others will click buttons too quickly, and some will struggle to find the relevant button or link.
However, you can make their life and yours a lot easier and overcome many of the issues by providing clear and concise advice in terms of FAQs.
In addition, providing a short video showing the key steps of getting logged on and what to do once on the platform will also be very useful.
And if all else fails, have a contact number that delegates can call to get help from one of the production team.
5. Engage a human host for your virtual audience
One of the best ways to enhance your virtual audience experience is by engaging a host.
This is a human host, not a virtual bot.
The job of the virtual host is to connect with your audience. The host acts as the conduit between the attendees, the speakers, and the production crew. In other words, the host knows when something needs explaining to the audience to keep them engaged.
It could be that there is a technical glitch that will take a moment to be sorted, or a speaker has run over time, and this impacts the schedule.
The host can perform any number of functions. For example, they can let the delegates know what’s coming up, provide advice on any schedule changes, and encourage participation in your event.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a virtual or a hybrid event; the virtual host is worth their weight in gold.
Finally, review the virtual user experience
It can be hard to step into the shoes of someone else. After all, we all have different styles and requirements. But thinking about your virtual delegates and stepping into their perspective (shoes) will enable you to critique the comms you have in place for them.
What is the path when a virtual attendee registers for your event? Is it clear? Is it easy? What happens when they are registered? What can they expect next, and what actions do you need them to take?
Test everything. Ask someone who hasn’t been involved in the design of the virtual attendee experience to try it out. It’s useful to get someone from outside your company to do this. Then you will get an objective review.
Make any necessary adjustments to your comms, considering the 5 tips, to ensure attendees have everything they need and know how to communicate with you effectively. After all, communication is a two-way street. Make sure your messages give your attendees a warm, inviting feeling. They will remember your event because of the care you’ve taken.
Looking for help producing your virtual event?
I specialise in creating and project managing engaging virtual events. If you need help, just get in touch and we can start a conversation.